106 NATURAL HISTORY OF PRECIOUS STONES, &c..
his baggage at
Granson, two years before; and thus the anachronism which Laborde
ridicules does not in reality exist in the story. But after reading the
accounts above cited from Charles's contemporaries, Comines and J. J.
Fugger, it is clear that the Duke's "famous and fabled Diamond" was
only one, and that one was lost at Granson.* Robert,
writing at that distance of time, and, like everybody else then,
knowing nothing of mediaeval fashions, naturally enough makes Charles
wear his splendid Diamond in a ring, as everybody was doing in 1669,
not in a pendent jewel, an ornament so long obsolete ; and just as
naturally represents him as keeping to his death this last relic of his
fortunes. All these inaccuracies are such as creep into family
traditions, without invalidating the main facts of the story. But if
Louis did in truth cut the stone to that novel and skilful pattern
copied by Fugger, and received that munificent reward for his
invention, mentioned by Robert, it must have been before the disaster
of Granson, after which date the Duke had neither money nor inclination
for such articles of luxury. This trifling anachronism of Robert de
Berquem's seems to be the sole foundation for a second legend, also
retailed by writers on precious stones usque ad nauseam, which
converts his Nancy Diamond into another than the Sancy. According to
this version, the Duke's corpse, stripped and frozen into the mud of a
ditch, was only recognised by his grand Diamond (a very unlikely
article, by the way, to have escaped the notice of the spoilers) ;
which jewel falling into the hands of the Lucernese was sold by them
for 3000 Rhenish florins to Wilhelm voti Diesbach, and after
